Be There
by Twill
Summary: The knights are preparing for their attack on Sanctuary with a final test. However, their plans are unexpectedly ruined when one of them is attacked from behind. A story of friendship and the realization that to succeed, everyone must be there.
1. Jungle Fever

And here I am again, with another little random thingy. I've been bit by the Saint Seiya bug (as far as the writing department goes) and just had to do something. So here it goes, my first try at a fic. The three dots that seem kind of random, indicate time passing or scene change. Oh, and I don't own Saint Seiya either  
  
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Chapter One: Jungle Fever  
  
---  
  
Everything was eerily silent as the knights made their way to the next check point. They were deep in an unnamed jungle somewhere they'd never really heard of and had forgotten immediately upon hearing. It was a final test in their preparations for attacking Sanctuary. If they could get through to her satisfaction, then they were ready for anything. Athena had seen to it.  
  
"Remind me never to insult cold weather, Hyoga. This is much worse." Seiya dropped the box his cloth was kept in and stretched. The group of four had been hiking for the better part of the day- along with many others- through humid foliage that never seemed to end.  
  
Hyoga chuckled and joined Pegasus against a tree to take a well earned break. Three of them were covered in a fine sheen of perspiration from their day's walk- all except Swan. Hyoga was using his manipulation of the cold to suit his own needs, much to the irritation of Seiya who continued to whine and complain.  
  
"Oh, I don't know. I don't mind it that much." Shun carefully placed his Andromeda cloth next to the other boxes and took a sip from his water bottle. He wiped his green hair from his eyes with the back of his hand.  
  
Shiryu, the Dragon, sitting on his cloth, smiled. "I think that would be because of your older brother, Shun. You can't grow up with Pheonix without becoming at least a little adjusted to heat."  
  
Shun shrugged and tucked away his water. He missed Ikki and wished he were with the rest of them. But Ikki had politely- for him- refused to travel with their group and instead had chosen his own route. They could faintly feel his cosmo when they concentrated, but beyond that, it was just the four of them. And even then, Shun wasn't sure that they were all together.  
  
Seiya was to brash and headstrong, always doing things to suit him instead of thinking of the rest. Shiryu liked to lapse into long stretches of reflective silence where he would puzzle out concepts that no one had bother to think about- like the potentials of their cosmo and their cloths. Ikki, like Seiya, was a bit arrogant and preferred to work independently instead of getting mixed up with the other bronze knights serving Athena. And Hyoga was distant and detached, as though he would only react to crisis. That left Shun to try and bridge the gap, but he always fell short. So instead he kept to himself, and only really talked to Ikki. But Ikki was never around anymore...  
  
"We should get going. There's still a lot of jungle to cover before we can stop for the night." Shiryu shrugged on his box, as did the others, Seiya making complaints loudly.  
  
"I just hope we get a bed this time. I'm sick of lying on the ground." The knight of Pegasus, now committed to continuing, charged ahead and was soon gone. Shiryu followed next and then Hyoga, both falling back into their own little worlds- still alert for danger, still able to respond to Seiya's loud jokes and comments, but otherwise dead to the world. Shun brought up the rear, deciding to take an interest in where they were instead of dwelling on his own thoughts. The jungle was rather interesting after all.

...

"If you want through here, you'll have to get through us!" Another nondescript bunch of what the bronze knights had come to call 'pseudo- knights' blocked the entrance to the clearing where the check point lay. At each such designated point, where they were supposed to check in and spend the night, group after group of attackers had lain in wait. And each one was more fervent in their goal than the last.  
  
"That suits us just fine." Seiya abandoned his burden and slid into his battle stance. The other three knights followed quickly after.  
  
"Bring it on!" The group of green and brown clad men- even a few women if what Shun could make out was true- spread out, waiting.  
  
It was Seiya who made the first move.  
  
With his usual tactless battle cry, Pegasus charged in and managed to take down nearly a quarter of the fighters with one blow. Shiryu launched himself through the air to deliver a series of flashing kicks, knocking back several more. Hyoga followed quickly with swift punches of his own. Shun remained back, wary of this new group. None of them had defended the onslaught, or made any mover to counterattack.  
  
The three knights of Swan, Dragon and Pegasus tore through their foe with relative ease. When they had finished, none remained standing except them. Shiryu and Seiya exchanged congratulations while Hyoga started back to gather his cloth. Shun eyed the fallen warriors with uncertainty. He could've sworn he saw one of their hands twitch or a pair of eyes open marginally...  
  
"Now!" In a surge, all of the fallen leaped to their feet. A few then propelled themselves forward quickly towards the now caught off guard knights while the rest started preparing something. With his hands full defending against punches and kicks from several, Shun couldn't tell what they were doing.  
  
He could hear his three companions struggling against this surprise attack, unable to regain their footing in the face of such a fast barrage. Shun ducked and weaved his way through the blows sent his way, forearms already smarting from defending. It was complete chaos.  
  
_Phut.  
_ A strange coughing sound caused all those attacking to suddenly back off. Then Shun found himself tangled in netting and his own limbs as he was forcefully thrown back against a tree. His breath was forced out of him painfully with the impact and stars flashed briefly before his eyes. A series of coughs, shouts and thuds told him that the others has been similarly caught.  
  
"Hey, get him before he reaches his cloth!"  
  
Shun twisted himself around with discomfort so that he could see through the mesh at whomever they were referring to. He discovered that Hyoga had dodged capture by shoving a subdued fighter into the path of the net before it reached him. Now the blonde was trying to fight his way through a mob of attackers toward his cloth as still others readied a large firing mechanism with another net.  
  
Hyoga's hand closed on the edge of his boxed cloth and a bright flash of light flared around him. When it faded, Swan stood at the ready, fully clothed in the bronze of his constellation. He began to move gracefully, deceptively slow. Shun shivered. The temperature was beginning to drop.  
  
"Don't back down. Our orders are to keep pressing until we're certain they've won, or they've yielded. Get back in there! Now!" The captain shoved a few fighters forward and then began forward himself. The whole group pressed in towards the lithe, swaying form of Hyoga.  
  
"Diamond Dust!" With a two handed swing, Hyoga froze nearly the entire company to the ground and sideswiped the rest with what Shun was sure would be immediate frostbite, if only a minor case.  
  
The powerful blast of cold swept past them and into the jungle behind them, covering a few trees with a layer of ice. Being unfortunately on the edge of the path the frost took, Shun was also hit with a gust of freezing arctic air, but not nearly as bad as the plants next to him. He tried to clutch the arm that was burning with cold, but was restrained painfully by the netting, a portion of which had frozen to him.  
  
"We submit!" The captain yelled as he tried to work himself free. Hyoga nodded, unbothered, and the temperature began to increase. The Swan knight then set about freeing his friends, muttering only a brief apology to green haired Andromeda.  
  
They gathered their cloths and other assorted items and walked past the shivering group to the clearing beyond. An inviting shack waited for them, along with the usual equipment for contacting Sienna.

...

"I am very disappointed in all of you. You shouldn't have been taken off guard so easily! If this were Sanctuary, you would all be at the mercy of the Master by now." Sienna's disapproving voice filled the room and caused the four knights to shift uneasily.  
  
"But Hyoga got us out, princess!" Seiya protested.  
  
"And he hit Shun in the process. Besides, there are a lot more at Sanctuary and most of them knights- bronze, silver and gold. You would not have gotten far."  
  
Shun stood, uncomfortable, and strode to look out the small window. "I'm alright. It's not that bad." He suppressed a shiver.  
  
"That's not the point. If you can't do better, all of you, then I may have to postpone the attack on Sanctuary until I feel you are ready."  
  
"But we can't just wait for them to attack us!" Seiya was on his feet, fist raised, anger flaring.  
  
"We can and we will, if it's necessary. Your lives are more important than making a frontal assault. And that's final."  
  
Shun left then, not wanting to listen to the argument that was sure to follow. He walked away from the shack as Seiya's voice rose to a shout, soon joined by Hyoga's support and Shiryu's calmer protests. Shun had heard it all before. He continued walking, letting the voices fade away.

...

In the gloom of twilight Shun found the jungle they were in to be oddly beautiful. Some flowers were blooming and it was quiet. He found a spot to sit and relax peacefully, letting the stress of the earlier battle roll off his back. He still shivered occasionally, still not quite recovered from Hyoga's powerful attack, but otherwise relived to be alone for awhile. It was nice to have moments like this, he reflected. A long time ago restful moments like this had been common, but then had disappeared in the quest for becoming a knight and all that came with it. Shun sighed softly in the increasing darkness and fell into a light doze.  
  
He startled awake when he heard a rather large branch snap nearby. Shun was on his feet quickly, looking around in the fading light for any sign of who was near. "Guys, is that you?" The silence felt oppressive now that it hid someone, or something. "This really isn't funny."  
  
Something approached swiftly from behind and struck Shun hard in the back of the head. The next thing Andromeda knew, he was lying on the ground with a splitting headache. Murmuring voices seemed to come from every direction and what little he could see swam in a never still haze. Feet flashed in front of his eyes every now and then. Shun tried to pick himself up, but his body wouldn't respond. Then, he could feel himself being dragged away.

...

"And I win again," Seiya frowned as Shiryu laid down his hand. It was the sixth hand of gin rummy that the Dragon knight had won in a row.  
  
"I say we play another game. How about," Seiya tapped his fingers as he tried to think of a game Shiryu hadn't won yet, "go fish?" He held up his hands defensively at the looks that Shiryu and Hyoga gave him. "Fine. Deal another hand, Hyoga."  
  
As the three mulled over the cards they had been given, they heard a loud scream of agony. Instantly, their game forgotten, the knights were outside, scanning for the source of the sound. A quick movement caught Hyoga's eye and he moved to investigate. Lying half covered by thick foliage, was Shun's unconscious form. His clothing had been torn to shreds and deep scratches covered his body. Hyoga kneeled next to his fallen friend and checked him over carefully, wary of broken bones or more serious injuries. Shiryu and Seiya, noticing that something had been found, approached.  
  
"What did you...oh."  
  
Shiryu helped Hyoga clear away the tangled ferns and underbrush from Shun's legs. No bones appeared to be broken, although he was bruised badly along both arms and his chest, had deep cuts just about everywhere, and strange, bleeding marks on his forearms. In unspoken agreement, Dragon and Swan lifted Shun's slender form from the ground and carried him inside. Seiya was already trying to reach Sienna by the time they had set the green haired knight down.  
  
"Damn, I can't get through. Something's blocking it either on our end or hers." Seiya slammed his fist against the card table in frustration, sending cards scattering to the floor.  
  
"We have first aid supplies. We can take care of him until the problem gets fixed and we can contact the princess." Hyoga spoke calmly, as if nothing had happened, as he rummaged for a roll of bandages and his water bottle.  
  
"I want to know who did this." Seiya began pacing around the small room, throwing angry looks into the night outside.  
  
"We all do, Seiya." Shiryu took over cleaning the cuts on Shun's body while Hyoga bound the more serious ones.  
  
No one spoke of how they hadn't felt the cosmo of another knight, or that they hadn't kept tabs on Shun when he left. They didn't want to think of how it might be their fault that the knight of Andromeda was now unconscious and bleeding.  
  
"He has a fever." Hyoga removed his hand from Shun's now sweaty forehead and frowned. "That means he has an infection, and we have nothing that can help that sort of thing..."  
  
The three knights looked down mournfully at their injured friend. "Hang in there, Shun." Seiya's voice seemed to echo in the room.  
  
---  
  
There it goes, a start to something I hope will turn out okay. I do love Shun hugs him and most of the other knights. Just not so much Seiya, but for my purposes, he's not as bad. Well, tell me what you think! R&R! 


	2. Separation Anxiety

I really should be updating my other stories, but I just couldn't stay away. And I hate how my pieces get formatted now so that I can't do actions...hmm...I'll have to think on it. At any rate, here's chapter two. I hope you enjoy it.

A belated realization- Gemini Star01 reviewed my fic! That's so cool! I've read 'The Story of Andromeda' and 'Among the Amazons' so far, and they're really really well written. I've not yet had a chance to review, and I suppose I really should. That's what I'll do just after this. xjumps for joy!x

I've fixed (if you can call it that) this chapter since I first posted it. Now the time/scene changes are marked with o's, and my actions are x's. At least it's something- not my favourite, but a solution is a solution.

xhugs Shunx

**ooo**

**Chapter Two: Separation Anxiety**

**ooo**

It was dark and at moments he could see the sky, dotted with shining stars. But mostly it was just shadow after shadow, melting shapes that swam before his eyes. His head hurt and his face was beginning to sting as he was dragged along, but there was nothing he could do; it was hard to even stay awake to watch the shadows.

Voices continuously whispered around him, but the words were so soft he couldn't understand. The noise blended with the shadows and soon he didn't care what was being said. He just wanted his head to stop hurting and maybe to be left alone to sleep. Yes, he decided, sleep was a good idea.

A distant thump alerted him moments later that he had been dropped and was no longer moving. The voices had grown louder but he still didn't care what was being said. Sleep, that's all he wanted. Sleep...

"On your feet, bronzie." Hands grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him forward. He swayed on his feet and nearly fell over again. After that, the hands stayed on his shoulders, and he stayed on his feet.

"Look at him, can't even stand. And this is part of the threat we're here to eliminate?" Rough fingers slid under his chin and pulled his head up. "Little Andromeda, the weakest of the bronze." Their faces were hazy but he could see their armor, picked out by the light of the stars. "Let's have a little fun."

ooo

It was late, but Dragon Shiryu hadn't slept since they'd reached their current checkpoint. He was lost in thought, trying to determine how everything had happened. Why hadn't they felt another cosmos or had something inhuman attacked Shun? The soft sounds of the other knights' breathing filled the room. Close by, the shallow, troubled sleep of Andromeda began to pick up.

When Shiryu realized what was happening, he quickly shouted to wake Hyoga and Seiya to help him. Shun was thrashing in a fevered delirium, crying out softly and saying something unintelligible to an invisible dream figment. Pegasus and Swan held down their friend's shaking shoulders, as Shiryu pressed a wad of bandage rinsed in water to his sweaty forehead. When this didn't seem to work, Hyoga placed one hand in place of the wad and Shun fell quiet. He shivered occasionally but had dropped back off into his dreams. The three sighed.

"He's getting worse. His fever has gone higher." Hyoga frowned down at his hand. They had tried many things to get Shun's temperature down, but nothing short of freezing him- which they weren't considering- would work.

Seiya stood, frustrated, and began to pace around the small room. His footsteps thumped dully against the floor. "I don't like this." He was quiet, not looking at any of the others. "I don't like feeling so helpless."

Shiryu busied himself by checking the bandages bound to his friend's form. Some were beginning to soak through with blood and needed to be replaced. He was glad that he couldn't see how battered and bruised Shun was, but could well imagine.

"What will we do tomorrow?" They glanced to Hyoga, who had positioned himself more comfortably with his hand on Shun's forehead. "We only get one night to rest, and then we have to move on. The question is, should we?"

Shiryu shook his head. "We could make him worse if we try to move him. Besides, we'd slow down with him and would probably have to camp out. I don't think that's a good idea, either."

"But if we get to the next point, we may be able to contact the princess for help." Hyoga regarded the useless communication's equipment in the corner with an icy stare. "I do agree with Shiryu, though. Moving could be bad."

Pegasus took a seat on the floor, close to the other three. He looked at them seriously and then sighed. "One of us should go ahead, while the other two stay here to take care of Shun."

"That person could end up the same way, if whatever did this is still out there."

"Then two can go ahead and one stay behind. This cabin's easier to defend than the middle of the jungle." The words weighed heavy as Swan and Dragon considered the possibility. They knew it was important to get help for Shun, but could they risk any of the options?

"I'll stay." Hyoga neatly avoided the eyes of his two waking companions and looked out a window at what pieces of the starry sky could be seen. He could feel their gazes burning into his profile, but refused to meet their muted concern and doubt. This was the only option and they couldn't back out of it by listening to their hidden fears.

It was a long moment before either Dragon or Pegasus moved from their positions in the room. Seiya clapped Hyoga on the shoulder roughly. "Be careful." His voice was tense, and Hyoga found it oddly amusing to realize the brash knight was hiding worry from his voice.

Shiryu, already with his cloth strapped to his back, stood silently behind Seiya, waiting for his turn. His blind eyes were clouded as he smiled down at both Swan and unconscious Andromeda. "All will be well. Take care of Shun, and yourself."

The blonde knight watched his friends step through the door and get swallowed to the jungle night. He sighed quietly, the new silence feeling almost oppressive. To keep his attention focused, Hyoga observed Shun. His green hair was plastered to his sweaty forehead and he was shifting every few minutes, as if seeking a more comfortable position. He quieted marginally when the cool hand was replaced against his fevered brow.

It was going to be a long night, but somehow, Hyoga couldn't imagine being anywhere else. He made himself comfortable, adjusted his cosmo to keep his palm cool and calming to Shun beneath it, and prepared to wait.

ooo

If Hyoga had thought keeping track of an unconscious Andromeda was going to be easy, he was sadly mistaken.

In his fevered sleep and fleeting wakeful moments, Shun seemed determined to never lay still. He would turn and make small noises of discomfort or fear, sometimes even making it to his knees and shakily crawling away from an invisible enemy that was too real for him. Hyoga tried to keep him quiet, constantly adjusting pillows, blankets, and anything else he could to make his sick friend more comfortable. But his nightmares... that was something the Knight of Snow could not fight.

"Nn..." Shun thrashed violently, startling Hyoga awake from a brief moment of sleep he'd managed to grab. "They...I can't...everyone is... gone..." He whimpered softly and tried to reach toward something far away. "Why can't I... see?"

Hyoga carefully pulled Shun's arms back to a less strained position and replaced his hand. Andromeda, however, didn't quiet this time, instead becoming more agitated. Delirium fogged eyes slid open halfway and looked around the room, uncomprehending.

"Ikki...?" Shun fought with the blankets covering his small form, trying to sit up. Hyoga, as gently as he could, kept him on the floor. The green haired knight struggled weakly, tears beginning to flip down his flushed cheeks. "Ikki!" He moaned softly, which soon turned into a near silent sob.

Watching this, Hyoga felt his heart wrench. He could only imagine what terrors were plaguing the mind of Andromeda. An uncommon feeling of helplessness settled over him then, and Hyoga vowed that- if only for himself- he would correct this concern.

ooo

After calming from his first real bout of fever madness Shun stopped reacting to Hyoga's cold touch. He would even try to avoid it, burrowing down into the warmth of his blankets and shrinking away whenever Hyoga got too near. After hearing the whimpers and seeing the pained expression on his friend's face, Swan had decided to let Shun sleep off his fever. The only time he'd venture near, would be to get Andromeda to drink some water or to prevent him from getting too warm. Though to Shun it seemed like nothing was 'too warm'.

Andromeda's obsession with warmth continued in whatever fashion it could. Shun tried to snuggle up against a very surprised and dozy Hyoga- who had been taking a quick nap- for warmth, only to shy away again an hour later when apparently he wasn't enough.

Once, after returning from a brief moment of fresh air outside the small cabin, Hyoga had found Shun trying to make a fire with trembling hands and a shivering body. It had taken a good effort by Swan to pull Shun back to a laying position and to abandon his ideas of making a campsite out of the middle of a wooden building. Shun's strength as a knight was not hindered by his fever, it seemed, when he was determined to get something.

"Ikki..." Andromeda's calls for his brother were a not uncommon sound. Over the few days since Seiya and Shiryu's departure, Shun had desperately tried to find the only person who seemed to always offer him protection. Occasionally, he would even call for his missing companions- Pegasus and Dragon- or Hyoga himself. Swan tried his best to comfort the flailing knight whenever he was summoned, and found that mostly Shun would fall into a deep, calmer sleep. But deep in the back of his mind, Hyoga knew he was no replacement for Shun's older sibling.

ooo

The jungle remained as deep and impenetrable as it ever had since they'd first arrived. Hyoga couldn't figure out why Sienna had chosen this place as their final testing ground, but suspected the reason would be all to clear at the finish. Or, he hoped it would.

He was taking a moment to himself, the responsibility of caring for his sick friend bringing his mind to beg for a moment of peace. It wasn't that he didn't like taking care of Shun, or regretted his decision, no, he was tired and was not used to being in such active close proximity to someone for so long. He needed some time to think and brood on what had happened.

It bothered Hyoga to know that someone- or something- had managed to sneak up on one of their group and launch an attack that left the victim so helpless. And Shun... Shun was normally the most sensible one, preferring to hang back instead of charge blindly ahead. This tactic had served him well in the past, their encounter with the pseudo-knights upon arriving to this point being a good example, so why was he the one battling imaginary foes instead of Seiya, or even himself? Just what were they up against?

As he reflected, Hyoga realized that maybe their group wasn't as strong as they had all believed. Sure, in their own right they were strong knights and dedicated to serving Athena. But as a group, while they acted in group strategies and fighting maneuvers, they seemed to be lacking. There just wasn't enough to pull them together outside of fighting; no one had really tried. Except Shun.

And, Hyoga mused cynically, it took him getting hurt for anyone to realize it.

A sudden thump brought his attention sharply back to the present. Turning, Hyoga cursed himself for not daydreaming while inside. A crash and the tinkling of broken glass was all he heard before he threw open the door of the cabin. The darkening twilight spilled through a broken window. Shun's cloth was scattered through the room, his breastplate having dinged the floor when it tipped over. That was everything he could see, aside from the other items that had always been there. Only...

...Shun was missing.

ooo

It was hard to fight the deep black that called so sweetly to him. But he knew it wouldn't be black for long. He would be assaulted with images, terrible visions, of what had happened and things that hadn't, but seemed so real; his brother and his friends, all leaving, drifting slowly away like they were being blown by a gentle breeze. And they all looked so sad...

He fought hard and wrenched himself out of the coaxing black, blinking slowly against the harsher light outside the backs of his own eyes. Already he was being sucked back down, but this was important. Slowly, painfully, burning from a thousand gashes and cuts, he crawled across the room toward a silver box that was waiting for him, warm.

Shun reached out a trembling hand and carefully touched the box his cloth was stored in. He pulled away the sides and top, exposing the true Andromeda that was asleep inside. It danced against his senses; its cosmo warm and comforting. For a moment, he was almost lulled back into his world of dreams. But he had something to do, too important to be stopped now. He had to find his brother and find out why everyone was so sad.

With fumbling clumsiness due to the haze over his mind and his chilled fingers, Shun carefully disassembled his cloth. He pushed away the pieces he didn't need and took others off. Finally he was able to unwind the signature article that defined Andromeda: the chain.

He pushed himself up using the torso piece of his cloth. He wobbled slowly toward the nearest window, fingers tangled in the comfort of the cool metal links. Behind him, the breastplate teetered and then slowly began to tip. It hit the floor with a loud thud. He jumped shakily and picked up his pace, every moment of concentration focused on making it to the window. The nebula chain jingled quietly, trying to accomplish what it's master wanted but not finding the strength behind it.

Shun slumped against the wall and began to focus on his chain. It shot out, nowhere near its normal speed, but hit the window with enough force to shatter it and clear out most of the sharp debris. He shakily heaved himself over the sill and out into the humid air beyond. The undying heat seemed to clear his fogged mind slightly, for which Shun was grateful. With careful steps Andromeda hurried out of sight of the window and disappeared into the thick foliage around it. It was time to find Ikki.

ooo

This chapter was more focused on Hyoga than Shun, but I think it works to tell the story. I'll include more on what's happening with Seiya and Shiryu in little bits, or maybe even side chapters/ chapters. You'll just have to see how the story will progress! That's all for now, R&R!


	3. Running Blind

I have this fic marked 'on hold' in my profile, as I've been finding it hard to continuously update six or seven stories and go to university. So then why am I updating you ask? Well, I recently got a review and it sparked some inspiration and here I am. So you can thank CerberusOfThe5 for reminding me about this fic and that I really should update every so often. The chapter is a little short I'm afraid, but something's better than nothing, ne?

I apologize if some of my facts are off. I've only seen the English dubbed version 'Knights of the Zodiac,' the OVAs (which were subtitled in Spanish), and a few DVD Japanese episodes that were done right. The rest I've gathered from reading some other fics and looking up a bit of information, but I'm no where near an expert on anything. I use the English names because I haven't figured out the Japanese ones yet, and really don't want to make a mistake in that department.

I don't own Saint Seiya. If I did, I'd make sure Shun was seen for the valuable, wonderful person he is and Seiya wouldn't be quite so annoying.

---

Running Blind

---

"How could this have happened!"

With a weary sigh, Shiryu pushed aside the dangling branch of a fern. "For the hundredth time, I don't know." He paused and waited for Seiya, who was busy fuming to himself - and had been for the past hour - to duck under.

Seiya instead placed a well aimed kick and snapped the branch off in Shiryu's hand. "No one is supposed to know about this. We were told it was just going to be us, the stupid jungle and those lousy guys that Sienna hired." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and scuffed angrily at the ground.

"That's just it. If Sienna could hire them, maybe Sanctuary could bribe them." It was a disconcerting thought to the Dragon, that Sienna would be betrayed because of greed. "Not everyone believes in her."

Seiya snorted quietly. "Well, they'll regret it." He looked up at the thick foliage, hoping for a glimpse of the sun. Only murky gloom waited for his eyes, and so much green that Pegasus vowed to himself he'd never like the color again. "Alright. We need to get moving."

Shiryu smiled faintly. It was just like Seiya to jump from one train of thought to another. "Up for a run, then?"

"Let's go." And the pair took off running, heavy cloth boxes hardly slowing them down as they tore through the underbrush of the nameless jungle.

---

For the thousandth time, Hyoga cursed himself for leaving Shun alone in the pretense of getting some time to himself. It wasn't as if the other knight was bothering him, breathing softly in sick sleep. But no, he'd just had to go out and be alone. And now Shun was gone and he was being attacked by a cloud of blood-sucking bugs while battling a seemingly endless expanse of thick leaves and flowers that sprayed pollen at him whenever he so much as looked in their direction.

The jungle, Hyoga thought, wasn't as great as everyone seemed to think it was.

Slapping away another large, ungainly frond, the ice knight paused to catch his breath and push the hair out of his eyes. Shun was pretty quick for someone who had seemed to hover on the edge something terrible. Hyoga, underneath his worry, was partially amazed that Andromeda had managed to open his bow, grab his chain, and then leap out the window to who knows where. And, on top of that, hide himself away so well that even a fully healthy and alert Swan could find no trace of him.

_Shun's been holding out on us_, was all he could really conclude. It wasn't surprising, the more he thought about it. The young knight had never enjoyed fighting. Shun would much rather end the conflict with Sanctuary with a nice chat over lunch than the all out war that was looming. Yet he was still there with them, fighting pseudo-knights and battling beetles the size of Seiya's fists.

Hyoga started pushing forward again, keeping his senses open and his eyes sharp for any sign of his wounded friend. He considered the situation. Why would anyone choose Shun out of the five of them - Ikki was included, he just was off burning jungle by himself - and not someone seen as more of a threat? Seiya the bold leader, Shiryu the wise thinker, even the master of ice himself seemed a lot more likely. Even Ikki, if it could be managed, was an idea to entertain; it would stop their last minute, wild card backup.

But out of all the knights sworn to Athena's cause, to Sienna's cause, the mystery foe had singled out Shun. Was it for opportunity, as Shun had been alone at the time of attack? No, Hyoga thought, because Ikki had been alone constantly since being dropped off. So then why? Why Andromeda? Why Shun?

And why not kill him?

As much as Hyoga didn't want to think about it, he conceded rationally that Shun could've been easily killed. Instead, he was just beaten, scratched up, and tossed back like an unwanted scrap of meat. What was the point of that? Was it a warning? Or perhaps the mystery foe wanted them to break ranks, to split up like they had, with the hope of getting rid of the rest of them...

There had to be a reason for everything, mused Swan. The attack was too precise, too planned to be something done out of convenience and opportunity. What was it that made Shun so special and different from anyone else?

Well, for starters, he was Ikki's younger brother and therefore had a connection that no one else could really even dream of having, if they even wanted it. Because of this, the unruly Pheonix became almost accountable and dependable. He was certainly a guarantee that your back was being watched, in some way. And, as Hyoga thought about it further, the same sorts of connections could be said to exist between Shun and all the other knights. His unassuming, polite and kind nature made him easy to get along with, to talk to. Shun probably knew something personal about everyone, in one way or another. Hyoga himself had confided a few brief words to Andromeda when he'd been in a speaking mood.

And then there was his perspective of things. As Shun was opposed to violence except as an ultimate last resort, he often tried to find other ways to solve problems. He thought first, much like Shiryu, instead of blindly running forward believing a well-aimed punch could accomplish anything, as Seiya did. But the difference was, where Shiryu often departed from these thoughts as the situation grew more dire or more involved, Shun would still try to reason with his enemy. The chain provided a suitable defense for him while he could try and make the other side see the light.

But was all of this cause for what had happened? Hyoga stopped once more, leaning against a slick tree trunk. There was still no sign of Shun, and no answers to the questions he posed for himself. He was feeling frustrated, and decided a break might help.

There was a rustle in the tree above him. For a moment, the ice knight paid no attention to it. The jungle was always rustling, dripping, squawking with life and sound. Then he realized that nothing else was making a sound. Instantly on alert, Hyoga glanced up into the high branches, searching.

The silence became complete for a heartbeat, and then another faint rustle sounded above him. And again. And again. The chain continued, growing slightly louder each time until Hyoga recognized the sounds as something _falling_ from above. He deftly leapt aside and waited. A final rustle - one he could see as thick leaves bounced on their stems - and something dropped with a heavy thud onto the leaf litter of the jungle floor.

Wary, Hyoga approached. The object was a sphere, grey and unremarkable. Had someone hoped to hit him with it while he stood under the tree? He stepped closer still, and crouched to retrieve it. But as he was about to pick it up, wondering what purpose something like it could have, the small sphere sparked to life. It swirled with color, in much the same way an aurora would in the frozen air of the north. Hyoga fell still. Gradually the color expanded outward, twisting in small patterns. It looped and finally formed a small picture.

Hyoga was unprepared for what he saw.

---

Shun sat, panting heavily, on a moss covered pile of old, fallen branches. His head felt incredibly light and the world around him swam slightly before his eyes. He felt almost unbearably cold as well, despite the humid heat that was ever present. He was almost constantly shivering. Andromeda's chain rested in a haphazard pile beside him.

He wasn't sure how far he'd managed to sprint through the endless maze of thick jungle plants. Fuzzily, he recalled a shout from Hyoga, who had found him missing, and the frantic burst of speed that came with it, but not much else. Had he been running the entire time or had he slowed to walk a bit before sitting down to rest? Shun wasn't sure.

The knight of sacrifice sucked in one final breath, and pushed himself shakily to his feet. There wasn't time for rest. He had to find the one person who could help him - his brother, Ikki. Shun couldn't remember where this thought had come from, or what exactly he hoped for when he found him, but knew it was important that he find Ikki. When he found him, everything would be okay.

Dazed, he shuffled on.

His bandages were dirty by now, some even showing spots of red where cuts had reopened and were beginning to bleed again. His chest ached as he struggled to breath normally. The sweat pouring down his face from the effort of walking caused his face to sting. But Shun seemed oblivious to it all. He pressed on, ignoring everything. When an errant branch snapped from his shaky grasp and smacked a bandaged area on his side sharply, Shun hardly winced. He was focused and his fever numbed him to everything.

That was, everything except the cold. His fingers wrapped as tightly as he could manage around the chain, shook slightly, freezing. Bottom lip quivering, Shun's ragged breaths bore the unmistakable sound of near-chattering teeth. He was pale and sweaty, tired and cold. But he had to get to Ikki. He had to get to him at any cost.

Distantly, some remnant of coherence echoed that he was sick, that running around alone in a jungle with a high fever and wounds wasn't a smart idea. He could cause permanent damage to himself, to his brain. Or even, it whispered faintly, die. The thought slightly unnerved him, but it was mostly, like everything else, numbed.

Shun shuffled quietly along until his foot inevitably snagged on a root and sent him crashing, unresisting, to the ground. His pain finally caught up to him then, a stabbing jolt that added bright pinpoints of light to his still swimming vision. Overwhelmed by both this and his pounding head, Shun was unable to find the strength to rise again and continue on with his mission. With nothing left to do but wait until his body cobbled together more energy, Shun blacked out.

---

I'll admit I've kinda grown to like the Shiryu and Seiya bit at the beginning, since I first started writing this chapter. There will probably be more in the future, though this one remains short because they've really only got started and Hyoga searching for Shun is more important (it involves Shun, so of course it is).

Anyway, things are picking up! You get your first taste of the mystery foe and some speculation as to how and why Shun was attacked. If you have your own theories, let me know! And review review review. I just might take this off hold and start updating regularly. You never know -winks-


	4. Provoking Temptation

Thanks to Corculum, I'm updating this fic once again, in spite of the 'on hold' notice in my profile. I should really change that, I guess, seeing as I continue to get inspired by this story. Ah, well.

As I mentioned in the previous chapter, I'm sticking mostly to dubbed facts and names, because that's what I'm familiar with and I'm afraid that if I start switching I'll inevitably screw something up and that wouldn't be good. I'm also sticking with anime things, instead of manga, because I haven't had the chance to read any of the manga, I'm sad to say. That being said, if you do spot mistakes or discrepancies, let me know and I'll happily make the correction.

Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya. If I did, Sienna would be a heck of a lot less annoying, and Jamian's crows possibly might've dropped her. Also, Hyoga and Shun would have much more screen time.

---

Provoking Temptation

---

It was cold, enough so that if water was flung high into the air from a glass it would fall to Earth as a shower of ice crystals. To Hyoga, the weather was perfect. He harbored a distant memory of a warm, humid climate where his hair and clothes stuck to him like a second skin. But here, where snow covered the ground as far as the eye could see and the sky was clear and stretched on forever, was home. Nothing else within his mind could ever hope to compare.

He strode through the snow, listening with a deep sense of contentment to the crunch and squeak of it underfoot. His breath misted the air in front of him, and then trailed away in a slight northern breeze that ruffled through his hair like familiar fingers welcoming him back. Swan crested a powdered slope and stopped mid-step, warming instantly from the sight that met his eyes.

_Sensei_, the word drifted through his mind. In a flash he was running, sliding down the hill, sending showers of white up around him whenever a foot touched the ground. He stumbled once, getting a face full of snow, but Hyoga was too happy, too young at heart to care. The cold meant nothing to him, it never really had. He would happily roll in the snow from sheer relief to be back where he belonged, but there was someone whom he had to see first.

When he reached the door, cheeks red and breath a fog about his head, Hyoga pounded a fist against the door. More snow showered down from the laden roof and with a smile the swan shook it from his unruly blond hair. Another knock, another shower, and his smile grew. "Sensei, open up! It's me."

The door opened with a slight grate of wood on wood and before breathless Hyoga stood the Crystal Saint, his master and teacher since childhood. The man smiled, welcomed him with his eyes as swan stepped across the threshold and into the interior of the small cabin. As he set food on the dry wooden floor, Hyoga was momentarily overcome with a feeling of vertigo. The hot, humid memory warmed his back and, as he turned to look behind himself for the source, he thought he could almost see a tangle of dark green foliage, of brightly colored flowers and insects of sizes that should never walk the earth.

But just as quickly as this vision assailed his senses, sending warnings of caution and worry to the back of his mind, it was gone and cold Siberian wind buffeted his cheeks. Crystal closed the door, talking to him softly, remarking on how wonderful it was to see him, how he hoped it wasn't too cold out for his fellow warrior of ice. Hyoga smiled, doubts and fears forgotten, driven away by the cold comfort of the world he grew up in.

---

"Curiosity killed the cat, eh Swan?" a rather cheerful voice quipped from the branches of a nameless tree. A figure dropped gracefully to the jungle floor next to the mesmerized saint of ice, smile wide and satisfied. "Too bad you don't even know the trap you're in." He slapped a hand on Hyoga's shoulder in good nature, finding the situation quite amusing. It was quickly withdrawn when it met with freezing metal, and it was then that he realized his breath was visible.

The figure wore armor similar to that of the bronze saints, light and mobile. His sported colorful shards of metal crafted in the shape of feathers, the end result leaving him nestled in bright plumage that was not out of place among the wildlife of the jungle. A segmented feathery tail arced down from his waist, in much the same manner of the three tails of Pheonix. Smiling jade eyes looked between the still saint and the unassuming sphere nestled in discarded foliage.

"I suppose I shouldn't gloat, seeing as no one's listening, but it's not every day one manages to capture an outlaw without hardly lifting a finger." The captor removed three more small balls from on his person and began to lazily juggle them. "I wonder what you're seeing? Wherever you are, it's cold."

A rustle to his left caused the colorful knight to fall silent, though his balls remained in motion. Seconds later found a second unknown figure stumbling through the undergrowth, mildly cursing as vines clung to his pants. "I hate this place," he said, wiping sweat and hair from his eyes. "Oh, you got him. Good job." He flashed the other a smile.

"Andy, I could have killed you just now with all the noise you were making. Hell, you're lucky that frost boy here is caught or he would've iced you good."

Andy, devoid of any armor himself save sparkling golden bands crisscrossing up his arms, smiled sheepishly. He ran a hand through his tussled cinnamon hair; blue eyes watched the dancing spheres seemingly float through the air. "Sorry, Apus. I didn't get as much training as you on stealth." He slowly approached the captivated saint. "He's really caught?"

Apus nodded, concentration back on his juggling. "He gave a start once, when something didn't quite click, but it's all smoothed out." A laugh. "Swan probably wants to be deceived so bad that he won't accept the idea that maybe it's not real."

"Do you think he's seeing his mother?" Andy asked, staring into the dead eyes of Hyoga. "We were told that she's a driving figure in his life."

"Either her or his former master." Apus shrugged. "He really has few choices for what he wants outta life. A shame really, but it makes my job all the easier." The balls ceased their flight and dropped neatly into his hands. "Any word about the other two?"

"Oh!" Andy perked up, suddenly remembering why he'd come barging in on his team member. "Yes, Ori has them sighted and he's following. They, uh, almost heard me when I went to get his report," he said, another nervous smile flicking across his lips, "but we weren't found out. He's waiting for a go ahead."

"Well give him one," the colorful saint said, grinning. "We don't want anyone to be left out, do we?"

---

Shun groaned as consciousness descended upon him again, not soon after he had fainted from exhaustion. His body ached, throbbing dully and constantly at the forefront of his mind. His side felt wet and raw; no doubt a wound had reopened during his fall. A moment of panic seized Andromeda as he realized his chain was not within his grasp. Struggling against pain, fatigue, and a sudden onset of nausea, Shun sat up and groped around in a feverish fog, looking for the signature of his constellation.

Something moved in the haze of his vision and then his questing fingers found the comforting metal links they searched for. He gripped it as tightly as his fist would close, and noticed that there was more within his grip than metal. Something warm and soft was holding the chain, and Shun's hands were grasping it. He blinked heavy eyes, trying to will the jungle to focus, and looked dimly up at the origin of the unfamiliar chain-holder.

A face circled before his eyes, never staying quite still enough for Shun to recognize who it was. A distant, foggy voice suggested that the situation was dangerous, that he should struggle to his feet and run to somewhere safer. But where was safe? And if the floating face was dangerous, why wasn't anything happening?

It was too much for his mind to take and Andromeda sank back down onto half-dead vegetation. His chain tinkled quietly, comfortingly, and the warm supports followed him down, now holding his hands as he had once held them. "You're warm," was the only thing that came to mind that passed beyond his dry lips. "Warm is good."

More movement hovered above him, making Shun's stomach roil in protest. He was forced to roll away from the warm, tilting his head back to retch. Gasping, Shun turned back towards the source of the movement. One hand blindly quested for what he had been forced to give up, and found nothing.

Hands, he recognized, brushed the hair away from his forehead and something warm and wet wiped his face, cleaning it of what he had just expelled. A hand found his again, and a voice murmured, "Get some rest, wimp."

Content, and not entirely certain why, Shun relaxed and let darkness claim him once more.

---

"It's good you've come, Hyoga," Crystal said, smiling at his pupil. "I haven't seen you in quite a while. How are you doing?"

The swan easily reviewed his training with the other knights and the battle for the gold cloth. He remarked on the character of the other knights, how Seiya was young and brash and bold, how Shiryu was quiet and reserved and intelligent. He spoke of the brothers – Ikki the reckless Pheonix who always managed to pull through in the end, and Shun the pacifist who only fought when it was absolutely necessary.

"Speaking of Andromeda," Crystal cut it, smiling, "your friend of that constellation has come to visit, out here in the cold middle of nowhere." Inexplicably, Hyoga felt warm again, his head spinning slightly and the suggestion of too many colors at the edge of his vision. "He's in the back room, probably asleep after such a long journey."

Nodding, Hyoga stepped quietly through the cabin, taking care to keep quiet. He edged the door open, peering into soft darkness. Across the small room from him, lying peacefully on the small cot reserved for the swan's visits, was Shun. Sure enough, he was out cold, chest rising and falling as he dreamed.

Unwilling to wake his friend, Hyoga remained at the door, watching and unable to look away.

---

There. You now have a glimpse as to who the antagonists are. You can guess at Apus and what he is the saint of. I'll possibly give a reward to the first person to guess correctly, too. Andy, well, I think you're going to have to wait on him. I'm up for hearing theories, though, and if anyone manages to get it right, well, I'll be amazed. Good luck, and I'll probably be updating his sooner than later, if Corculum has anything to say about it, heh.


	5. Breathing Fire

Wee, it's fun to update. I'm not entirely sure why I suddenly thought to myself, 'You know what would be fun? Updating _Be There_,' but I'm glad I did. I'm sure you wonderful readers are, too, heh.

Congratulations to soldier4Christ for correctly guessing about Apus' constellation. I suppose it's not hard when the character's name is his constellation, and there's a ton of websites about it. But still, I applaud you for taking the initiative and searching out info. I hope this update is soon enough for you (since you said that was what you wanted). Can you figure out how his lovely little spheres play into it?

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya. If I did, there would be a lot more mythological content. Wouldn't it be fun to see the bronze boys running through the labyrinth, Minotaur hot on their heels? Of course it would.

---

Breathing Fire

---

"Where's the blasted checkpoint?" Seiya screamed, wanting for all the world to just punch down the trees of the jungle so he could see clearly without an endless mass of green to cloud his eyes. "We're right where it's supposed to be, but I'm not seeing anything even remotely resembling pseudo-knights, communication equipment, heck, even a bed!"

Shiryu, face creased in thought, stood beside him. "Calm down, Seiya," he said softly, prevailing on his senses to provide some explanation. "The safe house couldn't have disappeared. We probably got turned around somewhere." The din of life around them, squawking birds and buzzing insects, was almost deafening. "Let's just take a moment to think about things."

Seiya huffed in frustration, scuffing a foot along the ground. "Think, think, think. We do too much thinking. Shun could be dying! We need to get him some help and then figure out how this all happened in the first place." The knight batted half-heartedly at a frond. "I know we're in the right place," he muttered.

Much to his disappointment, Dragon could come to no other conclusion himself. He was certain that, while hasty, their progress had been direct and that they were, in fact, standing at the site of their next contact point with the princess. But surely it wasn't possible to hide or remove a retreat full of electronics without leaving some suggestion as to where it had gone, or simply that it was missing in the first place. "Look around and see if you can find any sign that a cabin used to be here," Shiryu suggested at last.

Pegasus grudgingly got to work scrutinizing the underbrush and trying to find some hint at a foundation or activity. As far as he could see, though, there were no footprints, no broken plants, nothing to suggest that anyone had been there before them. Everything was completely, annoyingly, natural and undisturbed.

"Nothing," he said angrily, straightening up. When he turned to trudge back to Shiryu, however, an entirely different sight met his eyes: the cabin. It had materialized out of thin air off to the right, partially hidden behind trees and flowers with sickly sweet scents. "Hey, Shiryu!" Seiya called. "I found it. Weird thing is, it's almost like it was here the whole time but we couldn't see it."

He started toward it, expecting to hear the similar crashing footsteps of Shiryu as he made his own way through the thick foliage toward the returned structure. There was a rustle of leaves, but it seemed farther away that Shiryu ought to be. And then, all at once, everything fell silent in a hush that charged the air. Seiya immediately stopped and looked around.

"Shiryu?" There was no response. "Shiryu!"

---

Pheonix Ikki, the rogue knight of Athena; the no-nonsense, independent warrior of fire and rebirth – the name suited him. Just as the legendary bird that he embodied and whose powers he harnessed, Ikki was unique, different. He shunned teamwork and rebelled at being given orders. He served his own gains, despite what anyone else might think. The fight against Sactuary was not a battle of justice for him. It was vengeance. The only suggestion that he actually cared about something, anything, were the moments he shared with his younger brother, Shun.

The jungle training mission had sounded like a bunch of pointlessness the moment Sienna had voiced her plans. What extra skills could they possibly gain from trudging through humid undergrowth with poor attempts at 'enemies' paid to shout, 'Boo!' at every campsite? And yet, in spite of his protests, Ikki was still there, though well removed from the chummy traveling of the other four knights. A part of him wanted to spend time with Shun, now that he was rehabilitated, but the greater part of him knew he couldn't stand Seiya's whining, Shiryu's detached thinking, and Hyoga's general lack of humanity. Before long, he knew, they would be pitted against each other.

So he had ventured on his own. Ikki was certain there was nothing he couldn't handle alone and so far he had been proven right. The biggest annoyance was a swarm of mosquitoes that were convinced he was their next meal. But that problem was quickly solved by adjusting the atmosphere around him so that it was too hot for even the humidity-loving bugs. He was Pheonix Ikki – proud, strong, and virtually unstoppable.

That was, until something drew him to a complete halt.

At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The jungle thrummed with the familiar, aggravating hum that it always seemed to have. Unseen animals made their voices heard, water dripped, and leaves continually shifted underfoot. But eventually he could hear a faint something else, a rhythm that was unnatural though oddly similar to his own footsteps. _Another person_, he thought instantly, defenses primed.

Ikki continued walking as if nothing was out of place. He wanted whoever it was to think he was totally unaware of their pursuit, and then gain the upper hand at the last minute with a blazing fist to their stomach. Mentally he marked the location and distance of the sound, altering his path so as to bring him closer without being obvious about it. Just as the phoenix was about to turn and swoop down on the hunter-turned-hunted, the sound stopped abruptly with a faint thump and didn't continue as Ikki waited, listening.

Having a good idea of where the follower had stopped, Ikki approached slowly. His eyes picked out sloppy disturbances – scuffed leaf litter, snapped branches. His pursuer was certainly not a very good one. Finally he neared the spot and, sure enough, he could see a body sprawled on the ground in the dim haze of the jungle world. The figure groaned and rolled slowly until facing upright.

That's when Ikki froze.

---

The Knight of Ophiuchus, the serpent holder, watched Pegasus with grim satisfaction. So uncertain, so _afraid_… He smiled down at the writhing form at his feet. Shiryu the Dragon; not quite a serpent but close enough, as far as the constellation went. Not that it made any difference, for Ori's phantom grip around his throat was quite real – and would be to anyone at the receiving end of his wrath. Beside Ori, timid Andrew's eyes darted between the prisoner and the seeking Seiya.

"Are you going to kill him, Ori?" Andy asked quietly. "Are we even _supposed_ to kill him?"

Ori shrugged, watching as Shiryu tried to speak but found to air with which to make the sounds. His face was growing blue and it was a wonder that he was even conscious at this point. "I don't think the Master will mind if he dies before being suitably punished. He'll have the other four to play with."

"But that's not what we're here for," Andy continued, placing a hand on Ori's shoulder. "We're supposed to subdue them and take them back for judgment. Sure they'll die for defying Sanctuary, but by his hand, not ours."

Ori cast a cold look at his teammate. "What would you know? You're not even a real knight."

Looking slightly hurt, Andrew rubbed his arms, fingers ghosting over the bands of gold. "Maybe so, but I'm the only one who can use this, so I count just as much." _Don't I?_ he wanted to add, but remained silent.

"Whatever." The serpent-holder released his grip and Shiryu gasped raggedly for air.

"Seiya," he choked out hoarsely, a sound barely above a murmur. He coughed, sucking in gulps of air. As he convulsed, a leg shot out and struck Ori's shin, causing him to yelp in surprise and pain. This was all the sound Seiya needed, as he turned toward their hiding place, ready to get to the bottom of things.

---

Ikki sat next to a very tattered Shun, one hand holding his brother's. Andromeda's other hand tightly gripped his chain as he slipped in and out of fevered dreams. Finding him sprawled on the jungle floor had been a shock to Ikki, but he recovered quickly enough. With a thoughtfully provided first aid kit – something Ikki had scoffed at when he discovered it in his gear – the phoenix had tended his brother as best as he could.

It fell to waiting, something which Ikki wasn't very good at or accustomed to. But he stilled all desire to fidget, to wake Shun and demand to know what had happened, and remained a still, silent figure at his brother's side. He was an older brother before almost everything else, he knew, though that usually resulted in a tough love approach. Ikki wanted Shun to grow strong in his own right, instead of always depending on him to bail him out of trouble. At the moment, though, Ikki wasn't sure if his plan was working.

"Who did this to you, Shun?" Ikki asked, brushing away some stray strands of green hair from Shun's pale face. "I'll make them regret ever laying a finger on you."

In response to his voice, Shun stirred. His eyes fluttered open and looked around in confusion, glassy with sickness. He made some small, indeterminate sounds which tightened Ikki's hand on Shun's. Andromeda looked blinkingly up at the face of his older sibling as if trying to see him clearly through a dense fog.

"It's me, Shun, Ikki. Everything's okay," Ikki heard himself saying.

"Ikki?" Shun's voice was small and pained. Tears appeared in his eyes and in seconds were flowing freely down his cheeks as he closed his eyes with relief. "I found you. I knew I would." He raised an arm weakly to swipe at his eyes, muttering something that sounded very much like 'I'm sorry.'

"Tell me what happened, Shun," Ikki prompted gently. He had to know how his brother had ended up in this wounded state. While detesting to fight, Shun was very capable of defending himself. "Who did this to you?"

Andromeda seemed not to hear. He began to struggle to sit up. Ikki held him down, knowing that moving around would only aggravate the state he was in. "Please," Shun moaned, fighting weakly against his brother's hands, "please." Ikki let him up, and Shun promptly threw himself awkwardly into Pheonix's arms, burying his face into Ikki's shoulder. "I'm cold, Ikki," he whispered before a fresh wave of tears silenced him.

Ikki hugged his brother tightly, heating up the air around them and wondering at what forces were at work within the veil of the jungle.

---

A quick final note. I read somewhere that Shina is the knight of Ophiuchus (you know, her attack being 'thunder cobra' and everything). However, I didn't know this prior to setting up the plot for this fic, and it wasn't really made clear that Shina was the serpent _holder_. I figured she was just a knight of a snake. So, in my interpretation of things, Ophiuchus is Ori and Shina is just the serpent knight. Of course this means that Ori could possibly have some extra special power over Shina, but I won't get into that. Feel free to imagine, though.


	6. Blindsided Recollections

Thanks to Corculum for inspiring another soonish update. Poking me really does seem to help me write faster. Kind of funny. Anyway, things start picking up now that the mystery trio has appeared. I can't quite think of anything else to add at this point, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya. If I did, the Hades Inferno OVAs would be available with English subtitles instead of just Spanish, and it would be running on a television channel that I get at a convenient time of day.

**---**

**Blindsided Recollections**

---

Apus, juggling long since over, regarded the stiff statue that was the Knight of Ice. _How fitting_, he thought,_ that Hyoga should end up an ice sculpture_. It had been a few hours since Andy had departed, crashing off in a clumsy manner, and Hyoga's atmosphere had grown steadily colder. The humid air of the jungle had lent itself to the creation of several slender icicles that clung to the swan's shirt hem.

_But what is he seeing?_ The Knight of Paradise's curiosity was beginning to get the better of him. There were only so many possibilities he could think of, having being briefed thoroughly on what information Sanctuary had on Cygnus. _It's either his mother or his sensei, but would that really be enough to hold him so still?_ He scrutinized Hyoga's dead eyes as if hoping some reflection would shine through. _It couldn't hurt to have a little peek, could it?_

Answering his own question with a strong 'of course not,' Apus reached down and scooped up the softly iridescent sphere he had dropped there seemingly so long ago. He was sure not to cover it entirely with his fingers and drew it up slowly. Hyoga's head moved to track it, keeping his eyes locked on the fantasy he so desperately wanted to believe. A warm breath ghosted over the small orb and then Apus could see through his prey's eyes.

---

Hyoga had watched Shun sleep until the very moment that his fellow knight had woken up. Shun rubbed lazily at his eyes as the fog of sleep lifted from him like a heavy cloak. Slowly the awareness that his friend stood in the doorway, watching him, descended on Andromeda and his face lit up in a smile as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"I wanted to meet you when you arrived, but I guess I nodded off," he said, fussing with his green hair which had become unruly during his nap. "I also wanted to be more of a surprise that a person stealing your bed." He laughed and Hyoga couldn't help but smile.

"It's surprise enough for me," the swan said evenly. "But why are you here?" He wondered at Shun's presence, thinking it too cold for the other knights to really enjoy.

Shun continued to smile as he glanced out a frosted window. "I wanted to see where you grew up. You don't really talk about your history much, you know." Standing, Shun placed his hands on his hips and mock-frowned at his friend. "How am I supposed to be your best friend if you won't tell me things about yourself?"

"My best friend?" Hyoga asked, confused at the sudden turn in conversation. And somehow the words seemed awkward, as if another phrase was meant to be there but had been quickly edited into something else. "I thought we were already friends."

An easy laugh fell from Shun's lips as the fake frown dissolved back to his cheerful smile. "Well of course, but I'm talking about being _closer_ friends. You know, close enough to tell what each other's thinking without having to ask; close enough to know exactly what to say." Shun stepped closer and poked Hyoga's chest. "If Shiryu and Seiya can do it, then why can't we?" Again, something seemed missing from Andromeda's half of the conversation but Hyoga quickly shrugged it off as his mind trying to read too much into the situation.

"What about Ikki?" Swan heard himself asking though not entirely clear on why Shun's older brother should play a part in a friendship.

"What about him? I've already talked to him about this, and he says it's fine. You know Ikki, he's happy if I am." Shun leaned closer to whisper in Hyoga's ear, "Besides, I think he's relieved that someone else will be looking out for me from now on."

---

_Well, well_, Apus mused as he pulled himself from Hyoga's vision, _that bit of information could be useful_. He could see past the strangeness of the conversation into the real meaning, the real desire that Hyoga harbored in the back of his mind. It was almost cute how the swan didn't know it yet himself. Almost.

---

Seiya targeted the sudden yelp immediately, launching himself at it as fast as his feet would carry him. It hadn't sounded like Shiryu, but that didn't mean it couldn't be the dragon. He plunged through a thick copse of slick-bark trees and instantly discovered his vanished friend coughing blindly on the ground, two unknown figures standing over him.

"Shiryu!" His eyes flicked between each of the three figures – Shiryu breathless, a boy with gold snaking up each arm, and a knight dressed in scales of blue, green and silver. "Get away from him," Seiya snarled, dropping into a ready stance, summoning his cosmos around him.

The knight sniffed indignantly, running a hand through his long sea-green hair. "I hardly think you're in a position to make demands," he said in a low voice. Dark eyes flicked down to Shiryu as a hand raised and made a clenching motion. Shiryu was instantly rigid, clutching at his neck, gasping but finding no air. "Not went I hold your lives in my hands." The knight raised his other hand, looking into Seiya's intense eyes, and grasped at the air. Seiya felt a tight grip around his throat mercilessly cutting off his air but felt nothing when he brought his hands up to try and pry the phantom fingers away.

"Ori, you can't!" The brown haired boy beside the knight seemed desperate. The gold on his arms flashed as he moved to grab the knight's wrist. Seiya's eyes were drawn to it even as dark spots began to appear at the edge of his vision. "We can't kill them and besides Pegasus is _mine_."

"Then do something," Ori said crossly and dropped his hands, freeing both knights to breathe again.

Seiya, on his knees without remembering when he had fallen, reached for Shiryu and pulled him up to his feet. The dragon murmured a soft thanks and leaned against the trunk of a tree, freeing his friend to take whatever action he required. Pegasus readied himself, choosing between the two targets. He picked the knight as the more obvious threat though the comment made by the other unsettled him.

In one smooth motion he threw a hundred faster-than-eye punches. Faster than they were, however, the boy moved to intercept them. He crossed his arms in front of him, in front of the knight, and took each blow with little trouble. "What kind of knight are you?" Seiya asked, incredulous. He hadn't met anyone able to effortlessly take his punches that wasn't a silver knight or gifted with an extremely hard shield.

The boy was suddenly hesitant. "I'm not one, actually," he said softly.

"How…?" Seiya was speechless.

Behind, the knight grimaced. "I know."

Brown shot sea-green a distasteful look. "In any event, it would be best for you to surrender now. I don't think you want to hurt anyone."

"I don't mind hurting you," Seiya shot back.

With a sigh, Pegasus' opponent began removing the gold links which Seiya's eyes unconsciously watched with fascination. It never occurred to him to attack while this was happening, perhaps score a few punches before they could be properly defended against. It was soon evident that on both arms was a long ribbon of gold, looping back on itself to create a circle. "You'll regret your choice in the end," he said quietly.

"Seiya," Shiryu said quietly, "why aren't you attacking?"

But Pegasus couldn't find any words to speak. He was captured by the shimmer of the gold loops. They were mesmerizing… And then, in a blink, they were sailing through the air toward him, dancing through the air in near slow motion. Unconsciously he reached out to touch them, to hold them, and the sailed gracefully onto his own arms, twisting tightly until it seemed to him that they might well shred his skin to pieces.

And then everything went black.

---

It wasn't long before Shun seemed to pull himself together. After letting out all his pent up emotion – fear, loneliness, and relief – he pulled back slightly from Ikki's dampened shoulder, rubbing his eyes with shaky fingers, face flushed in a splotchy manner as his fever and his feelings battled on his cheeks. He still looked horrible, with sunken eyes and tattered clothes with old and new bandages peeking out, but he seemed a little saner, a little more sure of himself now that he was in the company of the one person he knew he could always depend upon.

Licking his lips, Shun's eyes darted around for a moment as he collected his thoughts. Ikki waited as patiently as he could, warm air swirling around them both. Finally, Shun met his brother's gaze and with a soft voice began to explain what had brought him stumbling hazily through the jungle.

"The jungle challenge had been going well," he said. "We beat a bunch of pseudo-knights a few days ago and got into the waiting cabin. The others contacted Sienna, and she yelled at us for being sloppy." Shun paused here to explain the ordeal with the net, and Hyoga's resulting heroic save with his ice powers. "He clipped me a little with the blast, but I know he did his best to miss me.

I didn't want to hear our faults because, well, I knew we'd outgrow them and I just wasn't in the mood for Sienna's yelling. I don't know," he said softly, "I guess I just don't like negative situations very much. I went outside to get away and as I was sitting, looking out at the jungle, they jumped me from behind."

"Who are 'they?'" Ikki interrupted.

"I'm getting to that. They didn't take me very far, I think. Just out of sight. They argued about what to do with me. One wanted to kill me." Shun suppressed a shiver. "The other two, though, eventually won out. They said the Master wanted us – all five of us – and that they should just weaken me and toss me back as bait. They figured it would be easier to target the others if they were worried about me." Shun's voice had grown soft by this point as he realized how much of a burden he had been to everyone and how much trouble he must always be. But he pushed these thoughts aside. "They pulled me up and one of them attacked me… his attack, it was fast. Faster than Seiya. Then another one had his go," his voice trembled, " and that's how… how I got all these scratches."

Ikki could feel his anger raging inside of him. He made silent vows to his brother to track down the attackers and make them sorely regret what they had done. "Those bastards," he said in a low growl.

Shun shook his head which made him dizzy. He waited for the feeling of lightheadedness to pass before continuing. "They don't know about the Master… But Ikki, I'm still sick." Andromeda could taste the bitter flavor of bile in the back of his throat. "And I'm not going to be much use to anyone unless I can get over that."

"But you seem much better now that you did when I found you."

"Thanks to you." Shun hugged his brother tightly. "But it's not enough to be warm. The fever, it has to be burned out, I think. Hyoga's cold hands worked for a while but then it got worse. No, it has to be fire. You."

Ikki's mouth set in a thin line. "How hot?" he asked, seeing the determination in Shun's still-glassy eyes and knowing that protesting would only lead to a long argument he would eventually lose.

Shun frowned. "I don't know. As hot as you can go."

"Shun," Pheonix's voice was a warning, "I'll kill you if I do that. There's no way–"

"I think… I think I can use my cosmos as a shield against the worst of it," Shun interrupted. "At least, I can protect my body from the heat while the fever burns away." Andromeda wasn't meeting his brother's eyes now. His thoughts were a jumble of possibilities. After all, wasn't his constellation one that was renowned for sacrifice? If he could sacrifice some of his cosmos…

"Shun…"

"_Please_, Ikki. I'll only get worse if I'm away from you, and if we're going to stop my attackers you'll be better off without me hanging off of you, or making you worry about my health." _And don't you want me to become as strong as you?_ Shun wanted to ask, but felt it wasn't appropriate.

The Pheonix looked at him for a long time without saying anything. Finally, grudgingly, he nodded. "But not as hot as I can go," he insisted. "We'll start slow." Shun easily agreed.

---

It may seem like Shun's getting super better considering he was just stumbling around in the jungle in a haze. But, my rationale behind it is that a) he's warmer than he was before, which is clearing his head a little, and b) he's with Ikki, who's reassuring and gives him a sort of inner strength. If Shun was to be left there, he'd relapse. If it's not convincing, though, let me know and I'll edit it )

Next chapter will see the meaning behind Andy's golden bands and why he's not quite a saint himself, and Ikki playing the part of a hero, at least a little bit. Leave a review and then tune in next chapter for all this and more!


	7. Golden Touch

I've been feeling particularly inspired lately and so you get an update much, much sooner than all the other ones. Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter – a good part of my inspiration came from reading them, huge smile on my face.

There's not as much revelation in this chapter as I had originally planned, but there's some hinting for you so you can take a few guesses and see if you're right next chapter. Also, I'm wondering if my elapsing of time is a little fuzzy. If it is, let me know and I'll provide a timeline at the end of next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya. If I did, there would be better romance than the hinting between Seiya and Sienna. Shun and Hyoga would shoot each other significant, secretive glances at least once an episode, if appropriate, and Shiryu would be able to wrap Seiya around his little finger.

---

**Golden Touch**

---

With a grim smile, Andy muttered, "I did ask him to surrender." Behind him, Ori snorted. Both were watching Seiya who now wore the loops of gold as Andy had moments earlier. His arms hung limply at his side, his eyes half-lidded and empty.

"Seiya?" Shiryu's blind eyes tried desperately to find his friend. "What did you do to him?" The Dragon was vaguely able to sense Seiya's cosmos beside him but there was something else with it, something unnatural. He tried to move toward him but was stopped by a tightening around his throat.

"Stay where you are," Ori said gruffly, hand raised but unclenched. "If you move so much as a finger you won't be able to breathe normally for the rest of your short little life."

Andy inspected his work, drawing near Pegasus who remained still and unresponsive. "They seem to be working. Should I test them out?" He asked, looking up at his silvery companion. Ori shrugged, uncaring either way. "Alright, then. Seiya?" Andrew's voice took on a sing-song quality. Pegasus' head turned towards his voice. "I want you to punch Shiryu the Dragon for me, okay?"

"What –?" Shiryu began but was silenced as Seiya's fist connected solidly with his stomach. The air rushed out of his lungs painfully and Dragon sank to his knees. Standing in front of him, fist still raised, Pegasus' face remained as blank and impassive as ever.

There was a light laugh as Andy threw an arm around Seiya's shoulders. "You don't know what's going on, do you?" he asked the gasping form of Shiryu. "How sad that a knight of Athena doesn't know his mythology very well." He gently turned Seiya back toward the newly discovered cabin that had yet to be put to use. "Seiya," Andy said with a smile, "destroy that building and everything in it for me, would you?" He stepped back and let the knight go. Pegasus calmly walked toward his target.

Slowly, Shiryu pushed himself up into a sitting position. He was getting tired of having to catch his breath, and now that Seiya had apparently lost his mind he was worried. Just what had happened? Not for the first time, Dragon wished he had his sight returned. Relying on his other senses, he tried to figure out what had happened. One moment had Seiya charging to his rescue – a thought that was reassuring – and then facing down their two attackers. That one was not a knight, the same person who had apparently taken Seiya's free will away, puzzled Dragon. What in mythology would account for that?

"He's good at destroying things, isn't he?" Andy watched as Seiya ripped through the cabin and all the equipment inside with little trouble. He glanced down at Shiryu and wondered aloud, "Has Shiryu the Dragon figured it out yet?"

"We need to get going," Ori interrupted. He walked to where the two captive knights had dropped their cloths in their search for the hidden cabin. "Call back your pony and let's go," he said as he hefted Shiryu's cloth onto his back.

With a sigh, Andy whistled. Seiya turned from the wreckage. "Put on your cloth, and then pick up your friend. Follow Ori back to the others. If he asks you to do something while I'm gone, go ahead and do it." Mindlessly, Seiya turned to his cloth and proceeded to follow instructions. Andy, in the meantime, crouched down in front of Shiryu. "Here's a hint: it starts with the letter 'B.'" He stood and waved at Ori. "I'll be off to report."

Andy disappeared into the jungle just as Seiya scooped Shiryu into his arms.

---

"Are you ready?" Ikki asked his brother for the second time.

He was nervous about what they were about to attempt, but hid it well. It wasn't that he didn't think Shun was capable of something like this. No, Ikki believed that anything his brother put his mind to was possible. He was concerned with his own mastery over heat and flame, worrying that maybe he would burn too hot and hurt Shun worse than he already was. Hadn't it been not that long ago that he was trying to steal the gold cloth away, fighting Shun and the others in the process?

"I think so. Are you?" Shun looked up into Ikki's eyes, seeing the grim determination to see the job through to the end. His brother nodded tensely. "Don't worry so much," Andromeda said with an attempt at a smile. "You're too serious all the time." He kept his own knot of worry to himself, though was sure it showed in his eyes or gave itself away in his voice.

"In case you haven't noticed, Shun, this is a serious situation." Phoenix sighed. "Turn around," he said, nudging Shun gently.

They had agreed that for the best effect, Shun should be close to Ikki because his personal atmosphere would be the first thing affected and one of the easiest things to control. Shun was to kneel in front of Ikki who would then fire his cosmos. Shun would get the brunt of the heat but his own cosmos would keep him from being consumed by flame. Or so they hoped.

"You're sure you know what you're doing? Ikki asked for the final time.

Shun nodded, not trusting himself to speak at that moment. His concentration was fixed between getting his cosmos ready to act the part of a shield and the small, little boy inside of him that wanted to give up and let himself fight off whatever was inside of him the old fashioned way, brother at his side taking care of him.

He felt the sudden burst of energy and heat as Ikki began to burn his cosmos. It wasn't instantly hot, giving Shun time to match and adjust as Phoenix increased the temperature. Eyes shut tightly, he enveloped himself in his own familiar energy, the cosmos of Andromeda. At a steady rate, Ikki poured more power into his aura making beads of sweat pop out along Shun's forehead. He felt a sudden wave of nausea and opened his mouth to let what little was in his stomach evaporate away as it spilled passed his lips.

The feeling of heat – fire and flame – and of his brother's hands tumbled Shun's mind back to the moment, hours ago, when he had been jumped and taken away.

---

He had been sitting outside the cabin listening to the distant argument between Sienna and the others as they discussed the day's travel and battle with the paid 'knights.' It was hot and humid and Shun had reached up a hand to wipe his hair out of his eyes when he heard something moving in the jungle that didn't sound like an animal.

Quietly he had stood, trying to peer through millions of leaves into the heart of the forest. Then, in a blink, someone was standing in front of him, brown hair, apologetic smile, and a strange shimmering quality to his arms. Shun had opened his mouth to shout for the others, even as he had started back to the cabin and his armor within, but something tight about his throat cut off the sound before it was made. Then the person in front of him had pulled back his arm and sent the world spinning.

He vaguely remembered being pulled along in the dark, voices talking over him. At the time, the only thing he'd really been aware of was a dull pain in his head and the dim sensation of movement. Had he been in a more rational state, Shun would have realized that he'd been knocked out and that his attackers were taking him deeper into the jungle, away from his friends. They had pulled him to his feet, hands firmly on his shoulders to keep him standing, and called him weak. He remembered seeing armor – one green and blue and silver, twisting around and around the one who wore it; the other wore shards of orange, yellow and green. "_Let's have a little fun_," one of them had whispered…

Shun couldn't remember much after that point. The blows had come too quick for him to really understand what was happening. There were moments where he couldn't breath, where he felt as if his chest was going to be crushed underneath something that must have weight a hundred tons, and others where something blew past him in a storm of strangely shifting colors that left him stinging all over. When they had finally stopped, though, they had come up with something else to do to him.

"_We don't want him talking too soon, right?_" one had asked almost cheerfully. _"So I did a little research before we got here. Do you know what kinds of stuff grow in a jungle like this?"_

_"Just spit it out already."_

A laugh. _"A bit of this will make him too sick to say anything. It might even kill him. Won't that be fun?"_ And then there had been a strange, cool numbness that settled over him. He smelled something funny, and then the world was gone again.

---

Shun opened his eyes as the blazing cosmos around him reached a peak. It was stifling, working its hot fingers into his lungs with every breath and charring his bones from the inside. His own cosmos seemed like it was being burned away as fast as he could push it out around him. He tried to scream but that only let the fire in faster, burning him away until he was nothing at all…

---

The sudden flare of several auras pulled Apus from a moment's reverie in which he was considering how best to use his newly acquired information about Hyoga against him. He felt the familiar, though subtle, reach of Ori to some unfortunate prey, then a blast that was brash and unfocused, which he gathered to belong to Seiya, who shared the same nature. However, a rapid spike of power that blazed close to his position, though still quite some distance away, gave him pause. If he was watching the swan and Andromeda was out of the picture, it could only be one person…

"So Andromeda found his brother. How cute," he murmured, turning back to the warrior of ice in front of him. "I wonder if you'll thank them, or will you long for what they're about to steal from you?" he asked Hyoga, whose unblinking eyes continued to stare at the sphere in Apus' hand.

---

"Shun!" The heat was gone and Ikki's face floated above him. He looked worried, Andromeda noticed, and couldn't help but think that it was nice to see Ikki acting human. A tired smile curved his lips as he closed his eyes. "Shun, open your eyes. Tell me that you're okay."

Shun took assessment of his body, feeling the heaviness of his limbs. He was exhausted, drained of energy. Slowly, he opened his eyes again; smile never once having left his lips. "I'm fine, just tired," he mumbled. "My head feels better. Thank you."

Ikki's look of worry dissolved into a scowl that Shun knew meant he was relieved. "We're never doing that again," he said. "Ever."

"I need to get my cloth, but I don't think I can walk," Shun whispered slowly. It was an effort to talk; each word felt like it was being dragged out of him.

"Shouldn't you rest first, considering you had me nearly fry you to a crisp?"

"I'm fine, and time's important."

With a sigh, Ikki stood. He wondered how Shun was able to make him do things against his better judgment. He was the older brother, not Andromeda! But that was just it, wasn't it? Because Shun was younger he could appeal to a protective side that Ikki had reserved just for him. "If you die or something, I'm going to be seriously angry, Shun," Phoenix grumbled as he hefted his cloth onto his back. He then bent and carefully picked his brother up, cradling him in is arms as he had when he was young and Shun just a baby. After making sure he had Andromeda's chain, Ikki set off in the general direction Shun had come from.

---

Hyoga smiled as Shun pulled away, acting like he'd just shared an important secret. "I'm not Ikki, but of course I watch your back. We're a team." He clapped Andromeda on the shoulder, though the hand fell away when he saw Shun frown.

"I don't want to be just part of a team with you, Hyoga. I want you watching more than just my back," Shun said softly. He threw his arms around Swan's neck in a sudden, fierce hug. "I want to make sure you're okay even outside of a fight." Shun's breath tickled Hyoga's ear as he pulled back to stare, green eyes into blue, at his friend. "I want," he whispered, tilting his head and moving closer, "you." Shun pressed his lips against Hyoga's.

Before the moment could fully register in Swan's mind, as it was overwhelmed by the suddenness of what just happened, the scene in front of him fell apart. Shun dissolved into shards of green light that danced away, along with the pieces of Crystal's house and the Siberian winter outside. Hyoga found himself staring at the pressing green of a jungle, and the memories of where he was clashed against the memories of what had just happened.

With a crack, ice breaking off of his armor with a spectacular snap, Hyoga took a step forward, as if to prove that what he was seeing was real. Had he spaced out on his quest to find Shun, imagining his fellow saint in an entirely… different situation? The darkness around him suggested that most of the day had to have passed. A daydream couldn't have lasted that long…

Sudden footsteps forced his confused mind to pay attention to his surroundings. Hyoga tensed, ready to ice whoever it was he could hear approaching. He straightened, however, when Ikki crashed into view carrying something in his arms, cloth strapped to his back. "Ikki?" he wondered aloud, trying to make sense of everything.

Phoenix turned, an eyebrow quirking in surprise. "Hyoga? What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Shun…" Swan trailed off as he noticed what, or rather who, exactly was in Ikki's arms. An unwanted blush crept onto Hyoga's cheeks as he looked up from the unconscious form of Andromeda. "But it looks like you found him instead," he finished.

"He found me, actually," Ikki confessed. "Where's the cabin our gracious princess thought to provide?"

Hyoga gestured toward the jungle. "Follow me."

---

Feel free to shout guesses at who the mysterious 'B' figure is. I'm always eager to know if my hinting is too subtle, so I can fix it. And I hope no one minds this taking a shonen-ai turn. I had originally hoped that it would, then wasn't sure if it would work out with the story, and finally found a way to sneak it in. The disclaimer kind of hinted at it, too. Heh.

Next chapter: Ikki steps up, Hyoga thinks, and Shiryu tries to weedle information out of his gruff captor, Ori.


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